Power supply apparatuses are essential for many electronic appliances such as personal computers, industrial computers, servers, communication products or network products. Usually, the user may simply plug a power supply apparatus into an AC wall outlet commonly found in most homes or offices so as to receive an AC voltage. The power supply apparatus will convert the AC voltage into a regulated DC output voltage for powering the electronic device and/or charging a battery built-in the electronic device.
Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic perspective view of a conventional power supply apparatus having multiple power output devices is illustrated. The power supply apparatus 1 includes a main body 10, a power input device 11, a first power output device 12 and a second power output device 13. The power input device 11 is connected to the input terminal of the main body 10 for receiving an AC voltage from an external power source. The first power output device 12 and the second power output device 13 are connected to the output terminals of the main body 10. The AC voltage transmitted from the external power source is converted by the circuitry of a printed circuit board inside the main body 10 into different regulated DC output voltages. The different regulated DC output voltages are outputted from the power output devices 12 and 13 for powering different electronic devices (not shown). The first power output device 12 includes a first cable 121 and a first connector 122. The second power output device 13 includes a second cable 131 and a second connector 132. The first connector 122 is connected to an end of the first cable 121. The second connector 132 is connected to an end of the second cable 131.
For example, when the power supply apparatus 1 is applied to a personal computer system, the first connector 122 of the first power output device 12 and the second connector 132 of the second power output device 13 should be plugged into corresponding sockets (not shown) on the motherboard of the computer system. For complying with the specifications of corresponding sockets on the motherboard, the first connector 122 of the first power output device 12 is a 20- or 24-pin connector to be coupled with the 20- or 24-hole socket (i.e. the first power socket). The second connector 132 of the second power output device 13 is a 4- or 8-pin connector to be coupled with the 4- or 8-hole socket (i.e. the second power socket). As known, the pin numbers of the first connector 122 and the second connector 132 should be equal to those of the first power socket and the second power socket, respectively. For example, the 20-pin first connector fails to be applied to the 24-hole first power socket, and the 4-pin second connector fails to be applied to the 8-hole second power socket. For complying with the power sockets with different number of holes, at least two power supply apparatuses should be purchased, which is costly and wastes resources.
For solving the above problems, a power supply apparatus having a composite connector assembly is disclosed in for example US Patent Application No. 2005/0202726, and the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. By using a single power supply apparatus, the connectors can be selectively combined or separated according to the number of holes of the power socket on the motherboard. As a consequence, such a power supply apparatus is advantageous for flexibility to be applied in different instances. Referring to FIG. 2A, the power supply apparatus 3 as disclosed in US Patent Application No. 2005/0202726 includes a main body 30 and a first connector 31. The first connector 31 is coupled to the main body 30 through a first cable 32. The first connector 31 includes a plurality of pins 33 such as twenty pins 33. The first connector 31 includes a first engaging element 34 such as a protrusion track at a left side thereof.
The power supply apparatus 3 further comprises a second connector 35. The second connector 35 is coupled to the main body 30 through a second cable 36. The second connector 35 includes a plurality of pins 38 such as four pins 38. The second connector 35 further includes a second engaging element 37 such as a gliding channel at a right side thereof and corresponding to the first engaging element 34 of the first connector 31. Once the first engaging element 34 is coupled with the second engaging element 37, the first connector 31 and the second connector 35 are combined as a composite connector assembly having a total number of twenty four pins, as can be seen in FIG. 2B.
Please refer to FIG. 2A again. The power supply apparatus 3 further comprises a third connector 40. The third connector 40 is coupled to the main body 30 through a third cable 41. The third connector 40 includes a plurality of pins 42 such as four pins 42. The third connector 40 further includes a third engaging element 43 such as a protrusion track at a left side thereof. The power supply apparatus 3 further comprises a fourth connector 44. The fourth connector 44 is coupled to the main body 30 through a fourth cable 45. The fourth connector 44 includes a plurality of pins 47 such as four pins 44. The fourth connector 44 further includes a fourth engaging element 46 such as a gliding channel at a right side thereof and corresponding to the third engaging element 43 of the third connector 40. Once the third engaging element 43 is coupled with the fourth engaging element 46, the third connector 40 and the fourth connector 44 are combined as another composite connector assembly having a total number of eight pins, as can be also seen in FIG. 2B.
Please refer to FIGS. 3A and 3B, which are partial exploded views illustrating the power supply apparatus 3 to be used in a motherboard having two power sockets. The motherboard 50 has a first power socket 51 and a second power socket 53 mounted thereon. In a case that the first power socket 51 has twenty holes 52 and the second power socket 53 has four holes 54, the twenty pins 33 of the first connector 31 and the four pins 38 of the second connector 35 can be plugged into corresponding holes 52 and 54 of the sockets 51 and 53, respectively.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a partial exploded view illustrating the power supply apparatus 3 to be used in another motherboard having two different power sockets. The motherboard 50 of FIG. 4 has a first power socket 55 and a second power socket 57 mounted thereon. In a case that the first power socket 55 has twenty four holes 56, the first connector 31 and the second connector 35 may be combined as a composite connector assembly having a total number of twenty four pins by coupling the first engaging element 34 with the second engaging element 37. As a consequence, the twenty four pins of the composite connector assembly can be plugged into the holes 56 of the first power socket 55. In another case that the second power socket 57 has eight holes 58, the third connector 40 and the fourth connector 44 may be combined as another composite connector assembly having a total number of eight pins by coupling the third engaging element 43 with the fourth engaging element 46. As a consequence, the eight pins of this composite connector assembly can be plugged into the holes 58 of the second power socket 57.
The power supply apparatus having a composite connector assembly as described above, however, still has some drawbacks. For example, since the composite connector assembly is formed by combining two individual connectors through engagement of corresponding engaging elements, the structures of individual connectors are complicated and costly. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the first connector 31 and the second connector 35 are combined as a composite connector assembly by moving the protrusion track 34 along the gliding channel 37 in the Z-direction. Under this circumstance, the relative movement between the first connector 31 and the second connector 35 is restricted in the XY-plane but allowable in the Z-direction. Since the composite connector assembly is plugged into the first power socket in the Z-direction, the composite connector assembly may be detached during the plugging process.